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Followers of the Lindlahr catabolic diet -- more commonly called the Catabolic diet -- are instructed to think of foods as falling into one of two categories: catabolic or anabolic. Catabolic foods are ones that supposedly require more energy for you to digest and absorb than the calories they contain. Catabolic foods are often referred to as negative-calorie foods. Proponents of the Catabolic diet say that if your diet is primarily made up of these foods, you'll lose weight even as you eat more. While the diet does encourage some healthy eating habits, experts like registered dietitian Natalie Digate Muth say the plan isn't backed by science.

Background

The Catabolic diet was developed in the late 1920s and early 1930s by Victor Lindlahr. A doctor who practiced at his father's sanitarium in Chicago, Lindlahr hypothesized that some foods could burn fat more efficiently than others after observing that patients on a supervised fast lost less weight than those eating low-calorie, water-dense foods like vegetables. Lindlahr went on to instruct dieters in his catabolic diet strategy on a 1930s radio show devoted to health issues and in his 1942 book, "You Are What You Eat: How to Win and Keep Health With Diet."

Aspects

According to Lindlahr, followers of his Catabolic diet should aim to make a minimum of 65 percent of their foods catabolic. Catabolic foods include fruits like apples, raspberries, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, nectarines, cherries and grapes; vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, asparagus, corn, tomatoes, carrots and broccoli; and seafood like cod, shrimp, clams and mussels. Lindlahr defines all other foods as anabolic. While you're on the diet, you're instructed to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and to drink plenty of water, though only half an hour before or after meals, never when you're eating. Breakfast should always consist of coffee and fresh fruit. If you get hungry between meals, Lindlahr says to eat raw celery.

Advantages

If you follow Lindlahr's Catabolic diet, it's likely you'll lose weight since the most highly recommended catabolic food items are all low-calorie. You'll also more than meet the 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables recommended daily for healthy adults, giving you a lower risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and digestive disorders. Sodium, sugar, refined carbohydrates, meat and processed foods are all discouraged on the Catabolic diet, which can contribute to a decreased risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Although Lindlahr did not provide specific instructions for an exercise regimen, he did advise dieters that the more they exercised, the more likely they would be to lose weight and keep it off.

Disadvantages

Muth, the senior nutrition consultant for the American Council on Exercise, says that although the Catabolic diet emphasizes healthy foods, there are no reliable research studies to show that weight-loss programs based on negative-calorie foods work better than other low-fat, low-calorie plans. The Mayo Clinic's Dr. Donald Hensrud adds that there isn't scientific evidence to prove that any foods are truly negative-calorie foods. The diet restricts your intake of whole grains and dairy products, which may make it difficult for you to get enough of certain nutrients essential for health, like calcium.

About the Author

Michelle Kerns writes for a variety of print and online publications and specializes in literature and science topics. She has served as a book columnist since 2008 and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. Kerns studied English literature and neurology at UC Davis.